Many functions of modern devices in automotive, consumer and industrial applications, such as converting electrical energy and driving an electric motor or an electric machine, rely on power semiconductor devices. For example, Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs), Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFETs) and diodes, to name a few, have been used for various applications including, but not limited to switches in power supplies and power converters.
A power semiconductor device usually comprises a semiconductor structure configured to conduct a load current along a load current path between two load terminal structures of the device. Further, the load current path may be controlled by means of a control electrode, sometimes referred to as gate electrode. For example, upon receiving a corresponding control signal from, e.g., a driver unit, the control electrode may set the power semiconductor device in one of a conducting state and a blocking state.
A power transistor is a power semiconductor device that may be used to drive a load current. There is a turn-on process and a turn-off process for switching the power transistor on and off. During the turn-on process, a gate driver integrated circuit (IC) is used to provide (source) a gate current to the gate of the power transistor in order to charge the gate. In contrast, during the turn-off process, the gate driver IC is used to draw (sink) a gate current from the gate of the power transistor in order to discharge the gate.
However, variations in turn-on time and turn-off time may vary across different power transistors. For example, gate oxide variations among power transistors may impact the input capacitance, the reverse (transfer) capacitance, and so on, of a power transistor which may result in variations in charging and discharging rates of the gate. Currently, there is no possibility to adapt the turn-on process or turn-off process to the individual characteristics of every power transistor. Therefore, an improved device having an ability to adapt the turn-on process or turn-off process to the individual characteristics of a power transistor may be desirable.